Dog Safety Presentation

My regular readers will remember this post.

The city council knows I'm involved with dogs, so when the local elementary school contacted the city about a possible dog safety course, they suggested that the school give me a call.  I jumped at the opportunity to help teach the kids in my town about dog safety, and enlisted Aryn's help since the plan was to present to all classes individually. I believe they wanted to "keep it local" since the town has been inundated with outsiders attempting to "butt in" on the city's response to the fatal dog attack in April.

On May 29th, Aryn and I spent the entire day at Prairie City Elementary.  We talked to each class individually, which meant tailoring our presentation to preschool through 5th grade audiences. It was a great experience, though we were all very tired by the end of the school day.  Kaylee and Ruby were great, and even did a few tricks to entertain the kids.

Here's a rough outline of our presentation, in case you're curious:

LOOSE DOGS 

Usually if a strange dog approaches you, it's because they're curious. If you run or scream, the dog will think you're something that would be fun to chase. If you stand still, stay quiet, and don't look at the dog, the dog will most likely get bored and go away.  (We called this "pretending to be a tree" and had all the kids practice their tree skills.  We had Ruby and Kaylee apprach the "trees" to show the kids how dogs are generally not interested in people that don't move or look at them. It worked very well!) 

- Don't run
- Be very quiet
- Don't look at the dog
- If you're holding a toy or food, drop it (don't throw it)
- If you get knocked down, curl into a ball and cover your head with your arms 

 If you see a dog with its owner and you want to pet the dog, always ask before getting too close. If the owner says you can't pet the dog, don't be sad - the dog may be shy, or the dog might not be trained to be polite around children.   

FAMILIAR DOGS 

Most dog bites involve dogs you know.  This can include dogs that belong to a neighbor, a friend, or a relative. Even your own dog could bite, even though he or she love you very much.  Dogs don't bite because they're mean.  There are many reasons for a dog deciding to bite.  Dogs bite because: 

- They have a toy or treat, and are afraid you are trying to take it from them
- They are uncomfortable with how close you are to them (personal bubble!)
- They are hurt or sore, and you accidentally touch them in the place where they are hurting
- You run, and they think it's fun to chase you (dogs' instincts tell them to chase "prey")
(Note:  Aryn helped the kids understand personal bubbles by asking for a volunteer, then invaded their space and asked if they felt uncomfortable.  This helped the kids understand how dogs feel when their personal bubbles are invaded.  Also, keep in mind this is a presentation for young children - some of the items mentioned in the next section are ok for adults, but unsafe for kids.) 

To be safe around dogs, including dogs you own, remember: 

- Do not hug, sit on, or lie down on your dog... but it's OK to sit next to them and gently stroke their chest and side of their neck.
- Do not play "chase me" games with  your dog... but it's OK to play hide and seek as long as you don't run when your dog finds you!
- Do not play tug with your dog... but it's OK to play Fetch!  Use two toys, so you can trade one toy for another.
- Do not lean over or step over your dog... but it's OK to walk around, or ask an adult to move the dog.
- Do not bother a dog who is sleeping, eating, playing with a toy, or chewing on a bone... but it's OK to wait for a dog to come to you for attention.
- Do not pull on your dog's neck, ears, legs, or tail... but it's OK to stroke them gently on the "safe zones" (We discussed this as a dog's chest, side of the neck, and shoulders.  We advised never to pet a dog's rear end, since you can scare them if they don't know you're back there.)- Do not poke your fingers into a dog's crate, or stare at him through the bars. Do not tease dogs behind fences or on tie-outs. 

DOG LANGUAGE 

(We were able to get into dog body language with the older kids.  The younger ones really didn't have the cognitive capacity to understand it.)   

Dogs can't speak like we speak, but they do have their own language. Instead of speaking with their voices, dogs speak with their bodies... sort of like sign language.  Dogs tell us to leave them alone by: 

- Turning their heads and/or bodies away from us
- Avoiding eye contact (sometimes you can see the whites of their eyes when they do this)
- Putting their ears flat back on their head
- Yawning when they're not tired
- Licking their lips when there isn't food around
- Walking away
- Hiding from you
- Putting their tail very low, even between their legs 

It's a bad idea to touch a dog when they are focused on something.  Dogs tell us they're concentrating on something by: 

- Standing tall, with their ears facing forward and tail up
- Staring at what they're concentrating on (this could be a squirrel, or a cat, or another dog, or even a person walking by)
- A tense body
- A slow, choppy tail wag

The visit went very well.  We even got to spend some time with the brother of the little girl who was killed by the dog in April. Initially he was very afraid of the dogs, which is sad but not surprising. He did warm up to them though, which is fantastic because without positive experiences with dogs now, there would be a huge chance of him being deathly afraid of dogs for the entire rest of his life. I was sure to tell him that if he ever saw me in town with a dog, that he could come up and ask to pet them. It makes me sad to hear adults admit that they have a fear of dogs, stemming from a bad experience they had when they were young.

The school issued us certificates of appreciation:

And the local newspaper featured us on the front page!

I hope we're invited back next year. I applaud my town for pursuing education instead of legislation, and I an grateful that the school was trusting enough to let us bring Kaylee the "El Diablo dog" and Ruby the "wolf" into the school to help kids learn about dog safety.  

A couple thoughts / observations...

One of the questions I asked every class was, "How many of you have seen a loose dog in town?"  Every kid raised their hand.  This is unacceptable, especially since Prairie City has a leash law.  As a community, we need to make sure our dogs are not running at-large.  It's the law, and it keeps our kids safe.  

Parents seem to think it's ok to not supervise kids and dogs. I know it's easier to assume a dog would never do anything to harm a child, but that's not something you can bank on. Also, there is nothing cute about a kid sitting on a dog, or riding a dog like a pony, or hugging a dog's face and pinning the dog to the ground.  That's a recipe for disaster, folks... even with dogs that are generally good with kids.  Think of dog/kid supervision like a seatbelt - you always buckle your kids in, even though 999 times out of 1000 a car ride doesn't result in an accident.  That one time in 1000, you'll be happy you bucked your kid's seatbelt.  

Kaylee's CAA Title Run Photos

I finally got Kaylee's CAA title run photos. I hadn't brought a camera (I know, I know... crazy!) so I'm glad there was a talented professional there to capture her CAA run.

This photo is very similar to the one we got in Des Moines. Kaylee levitates at the Tallyho...

For reference, here is the photo from Des Moines:

Ok, I promise I'll write about our dog safety visit tomorrow!  I just needed to get these photos posted!

Evaluating Dog Breeder Websites

Recently, a group of people have begun conducting peaceful protests in front of a couple Iowa pet stores that sell puppies from puppy mills. I've never been to any of these protests for the following reasons:

1. 85% of my dogs have been from responsible breeders... which could get awkward with some of the protesters.

2. I'm not really the type to picket much of anything.  I'm not really "protester material."

3. My views on adoption vs. breeders are far too complicated for me to be able to do something as simple as picketing.  

4. My weekends are hopelessly booked with other dog activities.

However... I do think their message is important.  Buying a puppy from a pet store is... well, it's utterly repugnant.  It funnels more money into a system that:

1. adds to the overpopulation of poorly-bred dogs in shelters and rescue

2. provides a hard, sad, hopeless life for the sires and dams of those cute puppies in the window

3. is more focused on quantity than quality

4. doesn't care who buys their "product" - the only requirement is that the buyer can pay the purchase price

I could go on, but I'm already getting away from what this post is supposed to focus on.  While reading about the protests, I saw some internet hecklers argue about whether or not the mill where the puppies come from is actually a mill. Slick websites can make even the slimiest operations look legitimate.  That got me thinking about responsible breeders' websites, and how - to the untrained eye - it can be difficult to tell whether or not a breeder is responsible or not.

Let's talk about aesthetics...

Most breeders do not have degrees in web design.  Some breeders are lucky and know someone who will do their website for cheap, but that's not common.  Most breeders are more willing to put their money into showing, trialing, training, health testing, and actually breeding good litters than pouring money into a fancy website.  After all, they are not selling a product to the masses... they are breeding to improve the breed. Along the same vein, breeders are probably more likely to spend time working with their dogs than they are updating their website, so some information may be out of date.  There is nothing wrong with a breeder website that looks like it was "homemade."  If you need an example, here is a link to one of the most responsible and ethical Doberman breeders in North America.  

Health Testing

Listing the results of health testing is a great sign that a breeder is doing the right thing. Look for "named" tests and certificates, such as OFA, PennHip, CERF, etc.  These are highly respected, independent organizations that issue and/or keep track of test results. 

If a breeder doesn't have health testing on their website, it doesn't necessarily mean that they don't test.  Contact the breeder and ask.  As I mentioned before, they may just be a bit behind in getting health results listed on their website.  Some breeders don't feel the need to list health testing if it can be found on an online database (such as OFA.)

You will notice some dogs have CHIC numbers, issued by a special database sponsored by the AKC Canine Health Foundation and OFA.  CHIC issues certificates for dogs that have had a full battery of health testing as defined by each breed's parent club.  Keep in mind that this doesn't mean that the dog passed all tests, but it does mean that the dog's owner and/or breeder did go to the effort of having the health testing done. 

Information on the breeder's ADULT dogs

It is very rare for a puppy mill or commercial kennel to list detailed information about the dogs they use for breeding.  Therefore, to see evidence of a breeder's pride and hard work in their adult dogs is another way to tell if a breeder is responsible.  Now, many backyard breeders will feature pages dedicated to adult dogs, but they won't list titles, health testing, show results, etc.  Look for evidence that the breeder is proud of their adults, and that their adults do more than just sit in cages.  Here's an example of one of my own dogs, as listed on her breeder's website:

Looking at this, it reminds me.... I need to update my breeder's website to include Kaylee's new titles.  I also need to update it to list new health testing on some of my breeder's other dogs.  See what I mean about breeders being too busy with their dogs to fuss over a website?  ;)

Geez, that's a lot of dogs!

Some breeders (mine included) have websites that feature dozens of dogs.  In most cases, that's okay.  Of the 41 dogs featured on my Doberman breeder's website, only five actually live with her full time.  Others listed on the website either belong to other people on co-ownerships, or are deceased and we can't bring ourselves to take them off the website.  Don't automatically assume the breeder is overdogged.

Club Affiliations

Look for indications that a breeder is involved in organizations that support their breed and/or their involvement in dogs.  Look for parent breed clubs, training clubs, performance clubs, and all-breed kennel clubs.  A breeder doesn't necessarily have to be involved in everything, but it's good to see they're involved in some way.  Clubs like this generally have an application process that weeds out the irresponsible folks. Click here to see an excellent example of a responsible breeder's involvement.  

A word on Breeder of Merit status... while it's great to see a breeder listed as a Breeder of Merit, lack of such a designation in no way means a breeder is not responsible.  It's a program that must be applied for, and not every breeder is interested in "tooting their own horn" in that way.

Extras

Many responsible breeders will also have sections of their website dedicated to breed education and/or useful breed-specific information.  They may also have a questionnaire or application.  Lack of these types of pages doesn't mean a breeder is bad, and doesn't necessarily mean a breeder is good either.  I personally love to see puppy questionnaires, but plenty of fantastic breeders don't have them.  This could be because they want to do all of the interviewing in person, or they simply don't know how to add a questionnaire to their website.  

No-Brainers

A responsible breeder's website will not...

- have online purchase/paypal options

- have breeding dogs with disqualifying faults

- several breeds available 

- several litters constantly available

I'm sure I'm forgetting something - or several things - but this is a good start.  If you have anything to add to the list, feel free to leave a comment and we can discuss!

The Bird Fiasco

I don't really get along with birds.  Apparently my buddy Jess doesn't get along with birds either, but I'll let her tell her own bird story on her own blog.

I let the dogs out this morning around 10am. I heard some alert calls echo through the trees but didn't give them much thought.  A few minutes later I heard what could only be described as the bird equivalent of a fight on the Maury show.  I went outside to investigate, and quickly noticed something sitting on the tallest stump in the yard.

... a feathery, gangly, bewildered something.

I got closer to confirm it was indeed a young robin. Presumably, it had tried to fly and only got as far as the tall stump.  Realizing its own limitations, it was just sort of sitting there.

I decided to rescue the damn thing.  I don't know why, but my brain didn't really make the connection that perhaps it would have been wise to put the dogs in the house before I attempted said rescue.  I think you can see where this is going.

The dogs hadn't noticed the young robin yet.  As I approached the stump in an effort to move the bird outside the yard, six adult robins decided that I was up to no good and started dive-bombing me.  This enraged my valiant protector (Jayne) and he threw himself at the birds.  He quickly dispatched two of the dive-bombing bird terrorists by grabbing them out of the sky.  This only served to make the remaining four robins even more mad.

In the meantime, the young robin decided that he would attempt to hop/walk/bumble his way to safety. Of course, he figured squeaking the whole time would heighten his chance of success.  All he succeeded in doing was to draw attention to himself.  Poison and Talla decided he was a squeaky toy and started following him around.  They weren't touching him - just following him with interest.

So imagine this.  I am crouched down as low as I can to avoid being pecked to death by four enraged robins.  Jayne is running around the yard like a Viking Berserker - attempting to add more robin kills to his name.  Adolescent robin is hopping around, squeaking, while two in casual pursuit.  It was a total disaster.

Since I was unable to move, I decided to take a few photos.  

Eventually I was able to grab all three dogs and drag them inside, but not before Jayne  killed two more of the adult robins.  Once I had a chance to check everyone over for injuries, I went back outside (wearing a hat made out of a cardboard box) to see if I could locate the poor retarded teenage bird.  I scoured every inch of the yard but he was nowhere to be found.  He either:

A.) escaped through under of the gates
B.) was somehow eaten in the fray
C.) got into the garage
D.) miraculously learned how to fly more than 18" off the ground.

I'm assuming A and C are the most likely scenarios.  I wish him a long and prosperous life, and hope he's learned a valuable lesson... that my yard is not a safe place for his kind. Especially when Jayne the Terrible is in full bloodwrath mode.  I'm sure the robins will tell stories of him for generations to come.

Another Bizarre Dream

Last night, my dream started at a Mexican restaurant.  Two of my friends - Chad and Tina - were there, and somehow we insulted the waiter and they refused to serve us, so Tina stole their plates.  I believe she also sneaked in back and replaced their refried beans with liquid bubble gum.  Tina then suggested that we leave Chad at the restaurant and drive to Wyoming.

So we drove to Wyoming.

On the way back, Tina said that she'd drop me off at the office, since a very bad storm was rolling in and my employer had called all employees in for safety reasons.  I wanted to go back to my car, because I had a large stash of firearms in the backseat... and also, Poison was crated in back.  But I ended up going to the office anyway.

The office was a tall, super-fancy skyscraper.  I took the elevator to the top floor, which was above the clouds.  It was all very creepy, and Mara (yeah, the demon Mara) appeared in the form of Tina Fey and told me to go downstairs with my fellow employees.  I determined that this was Mara's way of convincing me not to check on my dog, so I ignored her and tried to get out to the parking lot where my car was parked.  The doors were locked, but I could see that Poison was ok in the back.  I went back up to the top floor to confront Mara, but she was gone... and so were the creepy clouds.  I went downstairs to talk to my co-workers.

My friend Sean was there, and he was very sad.  He said he was bored, and really wanted some frozen yogurt but there were "a bunch of ladies with pugs" in the frozen yogurt store (attached to our office building) and he didn't like pugs. I went inside the frozen yogurt shop, and asked why the pugs were there.  One of the pug owners said that they knew the owner, and she allowed them to have pug playdates in the shop.  I approached the owner and asked if other dogs would be allowed.  (I knew her answer would be no, but I wanted to antagonize her.)  Of course, she said no, but she did give me a price list for the raw meat she also sold as a secondary source of income.  I left to tell Sean, but he had disappeared.

Next, I found myself in another Mexican restaurant.  Aryn and Jess were there.  The food was very good, but when we went to pay for our meal we realized that the entire staff had gone to bed.  We hollered up the stairs, and a couple came down to help us... wearing dressing robes and sleeping caps.  One of them gave Jess some throwing stars, and Jess had a hard time believing that throwing stars were a traditional Mexican weapon.  For some reason, I was adamant that they were.

Aryn and I decided we needed money.  Also, the little girl who played Rue in The Hunger Games was there too.  Our friend Lori told us to geocache for money.  She knew a spot in the middle of the city, but it was very hard to find and the conditions of the city were quite treacherous.  We went anyway.

The geocache spot was vague - we only knew that it was in a building that was sort of like a large, open storage warehouse.  The items stored inside were citizens' personal effects that they'd given to the city for safekeeping. The city was flooded, so we had to climb into the city using fire escapes and wading through murky, brownish red water. We finally made it into the warehouse, but didn't find the money.  It was very dark, damp and dusty inside, and we got the feeling that we weren't supposed to be there.  We all found neat items that belonged to other people though, so we grabbed them and attempted to walk out of the warehouse.  We were stopped by a man at a desk, who was scanning items to make sure whoever was taking them out of the warehouse was the actual owner.  Realizing we would be caught with our stolen items, we dropped what we were holding and ran away.

We ran through the first open door we could find, which happened to be the entrance of a junk store.  There was something very odd about the store though, because everyone in the store seemed to be hypnotized into thinking the junk for sale was valuable and amazing.  Aryn found an old AKC book and dreamily talked about how she'd been looking for that book for years, and needed to buy it.  Spike (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) had joined our group somewhere along the way, and was fascinated by a dusty wooden owl that hooted every time you'd spin its wings.  He'd spin the wings, the owl would hoot, and Spike would start laughing... and then spin the wings again.  Aryn and I started a conversation with another shopper who soon introduced herself as a Keeshond breeder and judge.

Then I woke up.  What... why.... I don't even know.

Laundry Detergent Update

I've had several people ask me for an update on the laundry detergent I made on Tuesday.  I'm happy to report that it gets clothes (and towels, and dog blankets) very clean.  I know it's still early, but currently I see no reason to go back to using store-bought detergent.

Here's what you need to buy.  I found everything at Walmart.

- one 1.3lb container of Oxi Clean
- one 4lb box of Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda
- one 4lb 12oz box of 20 Mule Team Borax
- one 3lb 7oz box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
- three 5.5oz bars of Fels-Naptha
- one container Purex Crystals or Downy Unstoppables (optional, but recommended)  * if you're looking for a nicer scent, try adding Scentsy Washer Whiffs instead!


Using a cheese grater, grate all three bars of Fels-Naptha.
(If you don't have a food processor, you will have to finely grate the Fels-Naptha.  If you do have a food processor, coarsely grate the Fels-Naptha, throw in a handful of baking soda, and stick it in the freezer for awhile.  Once it's nice and cold, run it through your food processor until it is finely granulated.

Mix all the ingredients together, and stir well.

You only need 1-2 tablespoons per load.  I use the scoop that came with the Oxi Clean, and it seems to be the perfect amount.

Cleaning House

I was raised in a very clean home.

I used to keep my own home very clean.

Somewhere along the line, that changed.  It wasn't a conscious decision... but apparently a two hour round trip commute, a full time job, several pets and their activities, a medical emergency that landed me in the hospital, the emergence of an autoimmune disease, and a messy husband all came together and made my "acceptable level of household cleanliness" change.

I should probably go on record and say that my house is never filthy.  You never walk in and instantly want to leave.  But I will admit to corgi-hair tumbleweeds under the furniture and clutter on every flat surface.  And dust.  Oh lordy, the dust.

For some reason, my emotional well-being seems to be directly linked to the cleanliness of my home.  I don't know about you, but I like being happy.  I like my life to be as stress-free as possible.  This past weekend, I did a deep-clean of about 80% of the house, and have been steadily working on the other 20% over the past few days.

More importantly, I've been trying very hard to maintain the progress I've made. This is harder than you'd think - especially with a corgi, a puppy, and a naturally messy husband in the house.  But we're making it work.

On a somewhat related note, I'm going to attempt to make my own laundry detergent tonight.  The ingredients cost roughly $20, it's safe for high-efficiency washers, and is apparently a year-long supply for a family of four.

I'm also going to attempt to make my own hand soap, and research how to make my own all-purpose cleaner.  Stay tuned!